Slide rule case



w, 1935. A. w. KEUFFEL 2,000,337

SLIDE RULE CASE Filed Nov. 1, 1952 v g; ylllillfylwlllmfimlm &

39 lNVENTOR ADOLF W KEUFFEL V '25 in place. Snap'iasteners and thelike have never l f S F' H Patente d v7, 1935 h it v r I e a v SLIDERULE cnsn h {Adolf W. -Keuflel,Montclai1-, N, .1., as'signor' to. i p Keufiel & Tsser Company, 'Hoboken, N. 'J., a

corporation of NewjJersey '1 U f Application November 1, 1932,"Serial No. 640,592

I l 8 Claims. *(CL'Q15F52) v I This inventionrelates broadly to-casesfor slide neSS Of manufact e a d a y and 900114 rules and other relatively heavy objects and more venience in use. d a particularly tothe manner=of securing the cover Thesea'nd other objects of {the invention and. a -on suchcase, J: :v the meansffortheirattainment will be;more*ap- '5 "Heretoforeythecover of such a ca'se hasbeen parent'rfroml'the" following detailedrdescript n provided wlthatongue-which hasbeen inserted ken-"in conn c ion with th mp ny n ben'eatha 'transvers'ely extending strap to hold ai'w ng us at g Y'Va 'iOl embodiments: by the cover in closed position. It has been the ex which: the: invention 'may;-be realized, and in peri'ence' that whfifsuch'ajcaseis inverted as h I I l" v 10 frequently happens; the relatively heavy "object Figure 1 s a v w,-' n-r rspe tiv showin th 10 therewithin'gsresting on 'the cover, or the impact invention ppl d-10 a s de'fl e jcase; thereof whenurge'dtoward the cover when fall Fi ur 11s a vi w, in tr nsv s s t n; o at ing, has forced it;b m im lt bj t t preferred: embodiment; of this invention, taken fall "out and becorne "daniaged." This because -t e e 1 0f Figure, Sh the .0 3 1 1'5 thestrap 'hasnm held the tongue strongly enough inserted beneath p- 1 t e posethe openingmOvemehtQ It has,.furs refiis a viewsimilattoig f buts owwthermoranever been possible, inco'mm'ercial pming th -strap p y W a 1 I duction, to sew the strap at itsends tolthecover ure i show h ePla e- W resilient tQnglles" soithat the strap 'is stretched tightly enough to is adapted tobeasecured t p; V engage the tongue with sufficient friction to pre- '8 g iSia p anv wshow & m d fi i m 20 vent itifrom easilyslipping outfrom beneath the 0f the inVEDtiOH-mTZWMCh hfi e Q I strap. "*Or wheresuch'leatheristrap has, "when a n sm an's isi O W f t new-,'- alforded a frictional grip, =the -strap soon t s 'pas ;.w l t -ot erwa l s ativ stretches and loses'the capacity to hold the'tongue" eldingsl stfOhfi away i e proven practical as fastening means for tongues fFigure isv aview-in?transverseis ti n: tak n oncasesofthis character, notonly because the h "Dlanee6-6.ofiigl refif' mere insertion, accidentally, Iof something .be- F u e 7 8 a e a y view. S ow g Still rieath the end ofi the tongue, disengages'th snap another -modific'ation of the invention and 3,0 fasteneribut alsobecause the respective fastener "'F'igurelfiis'fa sectional viewtaken asinFi 7 parts are likly to become damaged and their 2rnd'3i sh winave another-modification. interengagement rendered impo'ssible. Further- Referring flrstto Figure a ase, which 1 more,-themetallicfastener partwithi n'the'oase liistrat d as of the shap .c mm nlyius das a is-likelv to damage the scale surface of the slide conta e foi' slide'rules, is illustrated at I0. T e

rule and rnider li 'eading's f m gradfiations inventio'nis not to -bedeemed, limited to a slide 35 I I 7 rule case, such being-kused for purposes of illusf 'lh'e present invention has for its object the t i'ononly'as representat ve f asesnu -as combination with the-well know'n strap part; nd containers for relatively heavyobjects which: are "tonguepart-fastenlng, of means yieldingly'pre- Dpened frequently; likelyl inverted in the venting the separation jof'the parts while readily course of o't at the Sh of h 40 pe i g g f e be ject striking thelcoverexertsa force sufiicient to thejfitrafij I i ,-cause thezuefasteningtoogtheficezver; aind gghillgh jusers genera ypre er ea c olopenwi e 2 21;; thumb or other digit of the hand which holds the having substantially Par llel sides; one of said casetso that theob-lect caniibe'i-removed with the a 1 -t-heicovervof a caseof this character-which is to the upper side "B of the case (as viewed-in other hand, when, s'ay; 1a computation is to be madep f" Thecase lllis shown provided with theusual cover secured along its lower edge to the lower side of thecase (as viewed in Figure 1). The

's-ides being relatively "unyielding and the other oi said sides having resilient 5 means to yieldingly engagethe tongue. v e 50 f In-another .of its aspects, the tongue itself may s tr s means d e engaging cover is provided withatongue l4 whereby the h a e. 1 a i 'l coverisheld in closed position by passing it under The invention also seeks fastening means for a transverse'strap I6, secured, as b'y-stitching ll,

; practical from .thelstandpoint of ease and cheap- Figure 11,,

In commercial production, it is found not possible to stitch the straps I6 with a uniform degree of tension so that the friction of the substantially parallel sides of the tongue passage (formed by the strap I6 and the side [8 of the case) in engaging the tongue l4 will hold it against accidental withdrawal. It is proposed, therefore, in accordance with this invention to provide a tongue passage or slot in which resilient means will be utilized to yieldingly engage an opposing surface and prevent too easy withdrawal of the tongue.

In Figures 2 and 3, the strap 16 is shown as carrying a relatively stiff plate 20 with which the resilient means are carried. In this modification, (see Figure 4) a substantially channel shaped metallic member 20 has cut out therefrom at least one and preferably two three sided tongues 22, which are resilient by reason of the inherent resiliency of the material of the plate 20. These tongues 22 are deflected at their free ends, as shown.

The plate 20 is placed on the strap l6 conveniently before the strap is secured to the case It). In manufacture, the strap is laid in the channel and the flanges are curved over the side edges of the strap, as at 24. The strap is then secured to the side l8 of the case with the resilient tongues 22 extending in the direction in which the tongue M on the cover is inserted beneath the strap 16, such direction being indicated by the arrow (2, 3, 5 and 8) and obvious in Figures 1 and '7. The free ends of the tongues 22 will then occupy the position indicated in Figure 3 in substantial contact with the side N3 of the case.

When the tongue [4 isinserted, as shown in Figure 2, the springs 22 are pressed upwardly toward the plate 20 and yieldingly engage thetongue I4, pressing it against the side l8 and holding it fast. The free ends of the spring 22, furthermore, oppose withdrawal of the tongue 14.

In the preferred construction, the extremity 23 of the springs 22 is bent angularly so that the end edge will not engage the material (usually leather) of the case and scratch the tongue as it is inserted and removed, but, instead, that a convex portion 2| of the spring will contact with the tongue, as shown in Figure 2. i

It will be obvious that the spring need not be on the strap 16. In Figures 5 and 6,'a flat plate 26 is formed with spring tongues 28 conveniently of the same shape as the springs 22. This plate 26 may be secured, as by rivets 30, to the side l8 of the case immediately beneath the strap l6 with the springs extending as before. If desired, the strap I6 may be provided with a stiff plate 32in the form of a channel not out out into spring tongues butwhereof the flanges are bent over the edges of the strap, as at 34. Thus the passage for the tongue M on the cover I2 is again provided with substantially parallel, opposed sides one of which is relatively stiff and'the other ,of which yieldingly engages the tongue I4. i

In some circumstances, it may besufiicient to relay on the resiliency of the material of the case forming the side [8 to yieldingly hold the tongue M against the unyielding wall 32. In this event, as in Figure '7, the channel 32 cooperates with the stitching I! at the end of the strap I5 so that it is somewhat taut. V

Obviously, the spring tongue maybe carried on the tongue M of the case. In Figure 8, the tongue M has secured toits lower surface, as by rivet 36, a leaf spring 38, which is deflected downwardly from the plane of the rivet head so that its free end 39 is normally spaced from the tongue. This spring 38 extends in a direction opposed to that in which the tongue is inserted so as to resist withdrawal of the tongue M. The strap 15, in this instance, also carries an inflexible plate 32 so that the tongue 14 is pressed by spring 38 thereagainst and is yieldingly held against accidental withdrawal.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a simple and novel securing means for the flap or cover of a case adapted to hold some relatively heavy object, like a slide rule, which can be opened and closed by the fingers of the same hand which holds the case. Thus there has been retained the ideal and most efficient means for fastening the cover, that is, by a tongue and slot construction while to this has been contributed the improvement of constant engagement which the prior constructions lacked due to their becoming worn. The resilient tongue engaging means is so constructed that it only requires a very easy motion to insert the tongue under the strap when closing the cover, but, due to its shape, the resilient tongue has a somewhat camlike action effect which of its very nature gives it a semi-self-locking action against opening when the heavy object inside thrusts itself against the cover.

. Various modifications will occur to those skilled in the art in the composition, disposition and configuration of the component elements going to make up the invention as a whole as well as in the selection andcombination of the several elements, and nolimitation is intended by the phraseology of the foregoing description or illustrations in the accompanying drawing, ex cept as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a slide rule case or the like having a cover with a tongue thereon, the combination with a side of the case, of a strap secured at its ends thereto to form a passage for the tongue, said passage having spaced substantially parallel sides, ailat substantially rigid surface carried with one side, at least one resilient tongue carried with the other side and yieldingly and slidably contacting with the tongue on the cover when inserted in the passage.

- 2. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, and at least one resilient tongue carried with said plate and deflected away from the plate at one end.

3. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap and a plurality of resilient tongues carried with said plate and deflected away from the plate at one end.

4. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, means to secure said plate to the strap and at least one resilient tongue carried with said plate and deflected away from the plate at one end.

5. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, the side edges of said plate being turned over the edges of the strap and at least one resilienttongue carried with said plate and deflected away from the plate at one end. 7 I V 6. In a slide rule case having a cover with a. tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis ofthe tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, the side edges of said plate being turned over the edges of thestrap and a plurality of resilient tongues carried with saidplate ahddeflected away from the plate at one end.

7. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, said plate being formed with a plurality of tongues extending inthe direction in'which the tongue of the cover is inserted beneath the strap and whereof the respective free ends are deflected to substantially engage the case.

8. In a slide rule case having a cover with a tongue thereon, in combination, a strap secured at its ends to the case transversely of the longitudinal axis of the'tongue, a substantially rigid plate carried with the underneath surface of the strap, a plate carried with the case beneath the strap and formed with a plurality of tongues extending in the direction in which the tongue of the cover is inserted beneath the strap and whereof the respective free ends are deflected to substantially engage the plate on the strap.

ADOLF W. KEUFF'EL. 

